We’re looking forward to introducing you to Brian Gonzalez. Check out our conversation below.
Brian, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: Who are you learning from right now?
As I grow rapidly in my career and advance up the ranks, I am finding myself learning a great deal from the leaders above me. I am now in a position where I am responsible for a team and need to delegate tasks, serve as a leader, and set a good example. I am paying close attention to people’s leadership styles and taking note of pointers, whether it’s an example of how I want to lead or things I want to avoid when being a leader. Your attitude is quite critical and contagious, and people will take cues from it. Your attitude and energy are very important.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Brian Gonzalez, and I’m a television producer and director based here in Atlanta, though I’m originally from Santa Barbara County, California. I actually started my career as a professional dancer. I studied Dance and Psychology at the University of California, Irvine, and spent over a decade performing around the world before taking what most people would call a pretty unexpected turn into reality television.
What I love most about this career shift is that it allows me to merge both sides of who I am: the creative and the curious. Dance taught me rhythm, emotion, and storytelling without words, while psychology taught me how people think, feel, and connect with one another. Now, I get to bring both to set every day, whether I’m producing, directing, or working with real people to help them tell their stories in the most authentic way possible.
I’ve been lucky to work on shows like Home Town Takeover for HGTV and Instant Dream Home for Netflix (which actually won me my first Emmy!), but right now I’m the Showrunner and Director of Zillow Gone Wild on HGTV, a show that celebrates the most creative, unusual, and wonderfully “out there” homes across America. It’s been such a full-circle moment for me, because I get to combine artistry, humor, and human connection, all the things that made me fall in love with performance in the first place.
I think what makes my story unique is that it’s not a straight line. I went from dancing under stage lights to directing under production lights, but the through-line has always been storytelling and emotion. I’ve learned that the path doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else as long as it feels right to you. And in my case, that leap from dance to TV turned out to be exactly where I was meant to land.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
When I first transitioned into television, I started at the very bottom, as a Production Assistant (PA). I knew breaking into this world wouldn’t be easy, but I also knew that if I wanted to stand out, I had to work harder than anyone else in the room. My first job was with American Ninja Warrior in Minneapolis. I actually paid for my own flight and hotel just to take the job, because I understood what it meant to get my foot in the door. Once I was there, I worked like every day was an audition, staying kind, staying curious, and saying yes to everything I could learn.
On that first show, I became fascinated by the producers. They were the ones connecting all the dots, guiding the stories, supporting the cast, and making sure every emotion translated on screen. I didn’t know it then, but simply watching how they operated was my first real lesson in producing.
My next job was on American Idol, and that’s where things really clicked for me. One of the producers on that show saw something in me and trusted me with responsibilities far beyond what a PA would normally handle, tracking cast stories, prioritizing A-, B-, and C- storylines, and helping decide who should head into confessionals first based on where their emotions were at in the moment. That experience taught me the art of timing and trust, understanding when someone’s ready to open up and how to create the space for them to do it.
That producer taught me the importance of earning your place not through talk, but through action. Work hard, stay humble, and let your consistency speak for you. Those lessons have stayed with me through every stage of my career. They remind me that opportunities often come quietly, and if you’re ready, they can change everything.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There absolutely was. The truth about working in television is that it’s a gig-based world; you’re an independent contractor, which means you’re only employed for as long as a show is filming. When production wraps, you’re back to square one, hoping the next opportunity comes before your savings run out. It’s exciting, but it can also be terrifying.
The hardest moment for me came during the industry-wide strikes. Productions shut down across the country, networks froze development, and work just stopped. For months, nobody I knew had a job. I called every contact I had, reached out to every company I’d ever worked with, and everyone had the same answer: nothing was filming. I watched my savings drain week after week, and the fear of “what if this doesn’t come back?” started to settle in.
After nearly seven months without work, I was at a crossroads. I had two choices: find a new career that would pay the bills, or sell my home and keep chasing the dream I’d fought so hard for. I remember sitting in my living room, staring at the walls I’d built a life in, and realizing that if I gave up now, I’d always wonder “what if.” So, I listed my house for sale. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I knew deep down that I’d rather risk everything than walk away from something I love.
And then right when I was ready to let go, I got a text from a network executive. She said they were staffing up for some shows and wanted to throw my name in the mix. I sent my resume over, interviewed, and poured every ounce of my heart into that meeting. Two weeks later, I got the call: out of 17 candidates, many with far more experience than me, I’d been chosen to be the new Executive Producer, Showrunner, and Director for Season 2 of Zillow Gone Wild on HGTV.
That moment changed everything, not because it was a big break, but because it reminded me why I held on. The uncertainty, the sacrifice, the faith that something would eventually click, it all led to that call. And now, every time I step onto a set, I carry that lesson with me: sometimes the hardest chapters are just the setup for the story you were meant to tell.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely, 100%. The version of me you see is the real me, because I’ve learned that being anything less just isn’t living.
There was a time when that wasn’t the case. Growing up, I felt like I had to hide a part of myself out of fear, fear of judgment, ridicule, or losing people I cared about. It wasn’t until college that I finally found the courage to come out and live openly as who I am. It was terrifying, but the most surprising part was realizing how many people stood by my side. That moment changed everything. I realized I’d rather have someone not like me for being my true self than have them like me for being someone I’m not. From that day forward, I promised myself to surround myself only with people who see and love me for who I really am.
That choice to live honestly has shaped everything I do, especially in television. As a producer and director, I lead with empathy, both with the cast and the crew. I encourage everyone to embrace their quirks and individuality, because that’s what makes each of us unique. When people feel safe being themselves, that’s when the most authentic and beautiful moments happen, both in life and on camera.
I know what it’s like to hide, and I know what it’s like to finally be free. So if I can use my work, my platform, or even just my presence on set to help someone else feel comfortable in their own skin, then I’ve done something meaningful. At the end of the day, being yourself is the most powerful story you can tell, and it’s one I try to live every single day.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
Absolutely, and most recently, while producing Zillow Gone Wild Season 2 for HGTV. It was the first time I’d stepped into the role of Showrunner and Executive Producer, and for the first time, I had some creative freedom to shape an existing series and tell stories the way I envisioned them. It was both exhilarating and terrifying. I wanted to respect what the network had built, but I also felt this pull to push things just a little further to bring more humor, personality, and heart to the show.
Working with Jack McBrayer, who’s not only an incredible comedian but one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet, gave me the perfect opportunity to do that. I started writing little skits and moments that would bring out Jack’s playful side and allow the homeowners to shine right alongside him. One of my favorites was a Barbie-inspired scene we created for the Tickled Pink House episode, a full-on “Hi Barbie! Hi Ken!” moment that felt wild, funny, and totally different from what you’d normally see on HGTV. It was a creative swing, and I honestly didn’t know how the network would react.
I remembered something my dad once told me when I was a kid, words that have guided me ever since: “People who stay quiet don’t make a change in the world.” So I decided to speak up, take the leap, and trust my instincts. When the first cut came back, I saw the network’s notes; they loved it. I just about cried. I was literally dancing around my living room with relief and joy, that feeling of knowing the risk had paid off, that my ideas connected, and that I had trusted myself enough to make it happen.
It reminded me why I fell in love with storytelling in the first place, the magic that happens when you stop playing it safe and start creating from the heart. That moment didn’t just make me excited about my work; it made me more confident in my voice as a storyteller. And that, to me, is the best kind of “tap dancing” there is.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @BrianGonzo
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-gonzalez-27227195/
- Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13256508/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_brian%2520gonzalez
Image Credits
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